by Susan Itell | Sep 11, 2016 | Step it up Sunday!, Uncategorized |
Happy…happy Sunday – WOW, it is a HOT weekend on the East Coast. Please remind me, when the calendar says September, doesn’t that mean cooler days and chilly nights? I have had 1 good “hair day” since Spring and I really count on low humidity to have just a couple of good “hair days”
Well my friends, here you go – the stepped up version from yesterday so it is up to you….SIDE by SIDE, you decide? I honestly had NO IDEA where I was going to go with yesterdays card (as I really liked it) but I will say, I LOVE this one!
I know that it is hard to use DSP in a Big and Bold way but I hope that this encouraged you to say, hmmmmm….I should try this! Why not say to yourself ~ try it, I might like it! The other thing that I did differently today was that I popped up both, the mat (DSP piece) as well as the sentiment!
On a side note, I took it to the Post Office to see….and yep – it goes with a regular stamp!
I told you yesterday that I was going to share with you how I made the “texture feel” of the leaves etc….and are you ready – it is SUPER HARD….but I know that you can do it and when you do it, please think of me! Just simply go to town and ball it up….flatten it out…..ball it up – do what ever your little heart desires…..just work the fibers and you are good to go!
Did you notice that today I took another “frame” from the Tags & Labels Framelits and twisted it to add some interest! When you feel like you need a “wee bit more”, try a simple trick like this. It just makes your eye focus on the sentiment.
Because I already had adhesive on the back, I thought – add some linen thread – this will ad som “home feel and softness” To me, a little added touch like this makes a card step up to a new level!
One more look before you get to the scoop of the dimensions. I think that this is a beautiful and special card. As I shared with you yesterday, I needed a card to send to someone and yep – I am sending her today’s card! Do you have a favorite?
I know that this is what you love, the dimensions on how to make the card! Here you go, Please feel free to email me if you need further help or have any questions! This layout can be used for so many sentiments that we have and the other bonus, it is a great way to USE UP THAT DSP that we all seem to have – I know, I know…..it is super pretty to look at but we bought it to use it – SO USE IT UP!!!!! 🙂
- Card Base is Very Vanilla 4 1/4 X 5 1/2
- The mat that you will “build on” is 4″ X 5 1/4″
- The DSP to the left is 3″ X 4″
- The DSP to the right is 2 1/4″ X 4″
- The strip of paper is just 1/4″ wide
There you go – that is the simple “FORMULA” for this card now go find a stamp set and CASE IT so you can see 1st hand how easy and rewarding this layout is!
Enjoy the day and please remember to subscribe to my blog so you do not miss a post that I do! I havn’t said this for a while so please, it is sooooo easy – click that subscribe and enter your email and POOF – Susan will be ready for you and your coffee!!!!
Guess what I am doing today? I am making all of those adorable easel cards for those that placed and order with me in August….they will go out tomorrow so for you “smart shoppers” – get ready to receive it this week!
Please do not forget that if you click at the top of the post (under the header) to Paw Print Reward, you will see the generous rewards program that I offer and also you will see the feature card that I will be making for September! I think that it is super cute!
Thanks for your time in popping in….I hope that it inspired you and I hope that you learned something….now go find some “me time” and CASE AWAY!
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by Susan Itell | Sep 4, 2016 | Fall Cards, Step it up Sunday! |
Here you go, I stepped up version from yesterdays card. I still used all of the same products but today I added the burlap ribbon. I know that some of us find it hard to use DSP as a focal part to a card (especially when you really like it as we treat it like gold) but I hope that you can see that it makes a HUGE POP!
This fun new Fall Stamp Set is versatile and it is fun to play with color. Both cards are great but when you see them side by side you can clearly see that adding the POP of DSP makes a statement and also coloring the leaves adds instant depth.
Here is a tip when working with Burlap ribbon and wanting to keep it straight. I use fast fuse all of the time and I anchored the ribbon to the back of the olive strip BUT THEN also add glue dots under the part of the stamped part. This ribbon has a tendency to “wiggle” and this helps keep it nice and straight.
You can see that I scored on the sides of the stamped part, just 1 notch in but just that simple touch adds! As you can see, I love paper…and I think that layering paper adds so much interest and many times you are using scraps…so it is a win-win!
We all know that Fall is full of many colors. I was happy that this turned out the way it did. Below you will see some tips and tricks that made this tree come to fall bloom. Remember, nature has many colors….no two cards will be the same so just have fun playing!
That simple little stamp of grass is going to be handy for many different cards we will make. It is super easy to use and I love the fact that it is “short in size” as that makes it easy to and to add shading etc….
One more look at the Fall fun card. I adore Fall and yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day and all of a sudden the weather was much cooler, the humidity was down – starting to feel like Fall is around the corner! I’ll take it….I just love the splendor of colors!
Here is your 411 version – pin for the future….this will come in handy and we all seem to love Pintrest! ( I just wish there were more hours in the day to paly around with it – you can find just about everything!
Here is the “low down on this card” – I truly hope that you will case these cards – the layout it classic!
- Base is Very Vanilla 5 1/2″ X 4 1/4″
- The DSP (today) or the Very Vanilla (yesterday) is 5 1/4″ X 4″
- The Very Vanilla Sentiment Piece is 3″ X 3 3/4″ (scored the sides 1 notch in)
- The Cajun Craze (today) and Old Olive (yesterday) Mat is 3 1/8″ X 3 7/8″
- The Old Olive Mat today is 3 1/4″ X 4″
- The Old Olive Strip of paper is 1″ wide with the ribbon on top!
Enjoy the day, shop in your jammies, make memories, have fun and be safe and always remember, you do make a difference!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 28, 2016 | Christmas, Step it up Sunday! |
Hello…hello – I am super excited to get your feedback as to which one you like better – I know that many of you enjoy the 2 day posts where I take a card on Saturday and then on Sunday make some changes and then get GREAT feedback from you guys….I have my pick but I am not going to tell you….(until tomorrow)
I know that I shared with you earlier this week that it seemed to be hard to get int he swing of creating a Christmas Card when it is soooo darn hot out…but I decided to give it a “scout’s try” and play with some of the new kids on the block!
Not many changes but you can see that there is a totally different “feel” to the card1 The white is so clean and crisp and then the Crumb Cake is so warm and homey.
Yesterday I did some simple scoring on the sides of the panel and today I used the Holly Embossing folder (remember, all of the products are always listed at the bottom of the post)
Yesterday I did not add the “berries” from the Christmas Pines Bundle and today I did, I think that extra POP is key!
I loved and appreciated the comments yesterday…This “pine” bundle is a TOTAL HOLIDAY CLASSIC. I am the very first to realize that purchasing framelits and dies can get expensive but I ask you….what is more classic than fresh greens at the holidays!
I encourage you to add all sorts of different shades of green (even it you think they look strange together) because in the end…it all works out! Isn’t nature wonderful – please do not get stressed with getting the colors and placement perfect – let it roll!!!
Embossing folders add a super fast WOW and this one, Holly is beautiful. I like the fact that the holly has swirls all around to continue a clean, crisp and classic feel! One think I discovered when I made this was when you look at the flip side, it is a fun pattern and actually it is hard to tell that it is holly~ I am going to play around it for a future post!
One thing that I wanted to share is how I adhered the pine…Believe it or not, I used glue dots!!!! They were right there in front of me so I thought, why not? Fast and DONE! I did add dimensionals behind the ornament!
Before you get to your last photo I want to give you the dimensions and a GREAT TIP!!!! This is SOOOOOO SILLY as the dimensions are a no brainer….just an A-2 card, 5 1/2″ X 4 1/4″ and then the Mat is the good old 1/4″ smaller, 5 1/4″ X 4″ and then run through the Big Shot.
NOW HERE IS YOUR TIP: The Big Shot and the precision plate…YOU NEED IT…it is like “peanut butter and jelly” – they just go together! These pines are soooooo detailed and beautiful. Trust me, you will loose your crackers if do not use the precision plate.
I will also share with you…at first I was even frustrated in the fact the the pines were not coming out easily but after I cut about (3) of them….it was MUCH BETTER. This might be crazy but I think that there are times that our “tools” need to get “conditioned”…anyway – I ADORE this die and it is one for eternity as it is truly timeless!
Remember, shopping in your jammies is in style!!!
Here is a BIG PAW PRINT for you to hit and go to my online store! Rememeber to check out my Paw Prints Program where I reward you with free stamps but shopping with me! I know that there are sooooo many AMAZING SUD’s out there and WOW – so much talent but I thank you for your support, your time and your feedback!
Please keep my friends son in your prayers, his surgery is tomorrow at 7:00. This is such a wonderful family.I took them dinner on Friday night and they are all so positive. It was hard not to shed a tear, I am just so sorry that they are going through this but we all know how blessed we are with medicine and technology today!
For you animal lovers out there…..the Dad is a Medevac Paramedic for the State and they just added another dog to their great home. The dog was a bomb search dog that needed to go out of service and talk about AMAZING….their other rescue dog loves to jump on a trampoline – I should take a video of it as it is a hoot – if you even say the “trampoline word” in front of him….he goes bonkers!!!
Thanks all…I know that most of the times I get off topic but…that’s just me! I truly love what I do and I love helping you reach your goals!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 22, 2016 | Step it up Sunday! |
Happy New Week…Happy Monday! I know that my schedule has been all over the place but I think that this is a super fun card and hands down, my pick is today’s! Please do not get me wrong as I adore the simplicity and super “quickness” of yesterday’s card…but today, the pillows are the icing on the cake!
I have a ca-zillion pictures for you and I am sure that they will be a huge help to you! One thing that I hope that you “dust off the shelf” is the Aqua Painter. Not only is a a great tool, there are lots of fun stamp sets in the Holiday Catalog that lends itself to the Aqua Painter. It is not scary…it is fun…just grab a piece of paper towel, squeeze the ink pads to transfer ink to the lid and GO HAVE FUN! Here is the image of the stamp set!
The inspiration on the “how to” for making the pillows is from the fun and super talented Lydia Fiedler – you can CLICK HERE and see a great video she did with the paper tole technique. Lydia has such an amazing eye for color and detail and I thank her for making me jump off the board and try – it is soooo fun and easy!
Here you go….enjoy the pictures – let me know how you like it……I adore pillows, I think this is a “female” thing – John used to always tease me with the ampunt of pillows we have on our bed! I adore these pillows on the card!
This 1st picture…I stamped the pillows 3 x’s in case I messed up! It is funny, the easiest one (the circle one) took me 3 tries to get the look I liked! The adding of the Sahara Sand around the pillows before I snipped them out made it easy not to be so precise and then a quick swipe of the Sahara Sand marker makes the finishing touch “spot on”
Now I ask you….isn’t this super sweet! Please do not worry about being “perfect” about coloring the pillows – truth be told, WHAT IS PERFECT? – That is something that I think none of us know so JUST DO IT! I do not know about you…but I would LOVE to hop on this swing and take life in!
Below you can see the gentle “puffiness” of the pillows, just enough to make a subtle yet effective statement. I did the same with the swing today ~ just used Sahara Sand and then for the bench pad I just used Blushing Bride.
In the line up at the end of the post you will see the line up of colors that I used. I added the Mint Macaron today to add a third color of POP!
One look of this beauty before I get to the thing that you really like, the dimensions! Please feel free leave a comment and share what your thoughts are about doing this “pillow thing” – I must admit, I was proud of myself and I can see that I will do this technique in the future…..with balloons would be super fun!
Here you go…super easy. As always, email me if you need additional help.
- Crumb Cake Base, 5 1/2″ X 4 1/4″
- White stamped piece, 3 3/4″ X 4″
- The Blushing Bride, 4″ X 4″
- The Mint Macaron is 4 1/8″ X 4 1/8″
- The DSP is 1 1/2″X4 1/4″ (2 of these)
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by Susan Itell | Aug 7, 2016 | Christmas, Step it up Sunday!, Uncategorized |
I am so happy that I made you smile yesterday with “Mr. Llama”...or is it Larry, Liam, Lawrence, LeRoy ?????? – I loved Chris R’s comments about naming him….well, I ask you…
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS GUY?
What is his name going to be? This must be a cousin as he has a different expression on his face and I must say, he seems quite proud of himself that he is all “decked out with lights“! This sneak peak is from the new upcoming catalog and it is called, Fa-la-la-la Friends – just adorable and even better, it is a photopolymer stamp set!
Today I stamped him with Black Archival Ink and then using the Aqua Painter, I gave his a super quick “go over” in Sahara Sand…super fast, super easy. On other pictures you will see that I added a bit of blushing bride to cheeks as well as the inside of his ears and then the lights, Real Red and Garden Green! I know that it is next to impossible for you to see but I did add Wink Of Stella to the light bulbs and it is just adorable in person.
You can see that the framelits that are in the below bundle work for the cousin today! SMART MOVE Stampin’ Up! and you just wait…I will have more fun with this one…you can bet that! I have the CUTEST IDEA in my pea-brained head…..only for it to work…..that will be later this month!
For those of you that order from me, you should receive your Holiday Catalog from be by the end of the week. Make sure when you see that envelope, you carve out some “me time” to take it all in!
Darn I wish that I could share with you all of the new paper like I usually do with DSP collections….but until then, you will just have to trust me that there are some keepers! This paper is from a 6″ X 6″ paper stack called Warmth & Cheer and I think that the name is sooooo darn tootin’ appropriate as there are some amazing plaids ( and you all know, I am MAD ABOUT PLAID) but there are also some great “traditional Christmas” prints that just bring “Warmth & Cheer” to you!
I did the same trick for the banner, it is really so simple….just cut out 2 of the framlits in what ever color you are working with and snip….green glue….DONE! This is a great effect and wouldn’t it be fun at different lengths on a vertical card like streamers for a celebration?
I hope that this 2 day post warmed your heart even if it is over 90 degrees in many places…Before we end…I want to chat about the cactus…in reading your comments I laughed and then I asked James and John….they laughed at me to and said, Llamas and cactus are not together….well you will love my answer and I am going to stand by it….
THE DARN CACTUS WAS ON THE STAMP SET….(and they look cute together)
Now go have a great day!!!! Thanks for sharing your time, coffee, thoughts and friendship!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 24, 2016 | Step it up Sunday! |
OH MY GOSH….it is just about noon on Sunday and I just discovered that I forgot to set the timer for my blog to go off!!!! SILLY SUSAN! I woke up early as usual and vowed not to get on the computer until my “chores” with the animals were completed as it is super HOT here. Sorry…..enjoy the Post and enjoy the day!
Good Morning! Here you go with the stepped up version of the card from yesterday and I am also going to try to do my best with pictures to show you how easy it really is to “mask” and get great effects! As I said yesterday, this type of stamping totally intimidated me but I jumped in and gave it a “Girl Scout” try and it was fun 🙂
Here you go…Side by Side….YOU decide! I am a bit torn because I do like them both but I think the “purest” side of me….liking WHITE (well, this is very vanilla) is going for yesterdays card!
Here is the bundle that we are working with. You can clearly see the rows of stamps and then see how you can use up to 3 different ones to create more color/depth. The below pictures will hopefully help you. If you wanted to keep it super simple, your could eliminate the shading but I say, “NO WAY – YOU CAN DO IT” and the one thing that I know for sure is….you’ll be proud of yourself.
Here you go with my parade of “how to” pictures….hopefully they will be helpful to you. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need any further explanation. Have fun using several different colors….or simply use one color like I did for this card. The “stamping off” to make it lighter is a super effect! (please remember that you can CLICK ON the pictures to make them larger and easier to read)
The biggest difference between today and yesterday is…
- The matting of the emerald envy
- The addition of the 5/8″ burlap ribbon (LOVE THIS RIBBON) 🙂
- The simple knot accent of Dapper Denim adhered with a glue dot!
One beautiful card that I am sure anyone would be thrilled to receive. I just adore the colors and the softness of the Very Vanilla. If I had a wish…I would wish that Stampin’ Up! would come out with THICK Very Vanilla…..is anyone else thinking that as well?
Here is your “how to” 411 of the products that I used for the card. At the very end of the post you will see the entire line up of all of the products that I used and if you choose, let those fingers of yours go CLICK – CLICK – CLICK and shop away! Remember, be a smart shopper with the increment of $50.00 to earn some Bonus Bucks for you to spend in August.
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